Last Updated on September 9, 2025 by Admin
The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing an unprecedented data center construction boom, driven by hyperscale cloud deployments, enterprise digital transformation, and the growing demand for AI-ready infrastructure. From Singapore’s space-constrained urban environments to India’s rapidly expanding digital economy, the complexity of modern data center projects requires specialized expertise that goes far beyond traditional construction.
This comprehensive guide profiles 30 leading contractors, EPCs (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction), and specialized firms that are shaping the digital infrastructure landscape across India and APAC. These companies range from global engineering giants to emerging regional players, each bringing unique capabilities to deliver everything from hyperscale cloud campuses to modular edge facilities.
Table of Contents
Global Leaders Bringing World-Class Expertise
1. AECOM (USA) – Global Design-Build & ESG Leadership
AECOM stands as one of the world’s largest infrastructure engineering firms, with a dedicated data center practice spanning 43 countries. The company provides end-to-end services from site selection and design through construction management.
Focus Areas: AECOM specializes in hyperscale and large enterprise data centers with an emphasis on energy-efficient, scalable designs. The company’s team leverages advanced technologies, including BIM, IoT, and AI analytics to optimize sustainability and cost, while exploring cutting-edge solutions like green hydrogen and innovative cooling systems.
Certifications: AECOM-built facilities consistently target high Uptime Tier standards and LEED ratings, reflecting the company’s strong ESG commitment.
Notable Projects: With over 20 years of data center project delivery, AECOM has completed major hyperscale campuses across North America, Europe, and Asia. Its integrated alliance with Tishman in the US enables holistic delivery from due diligence through commissioning.
2. DPR Construction (USA) – Mission-Critical Specialist
DPR Construction, based in California, is highly ranked among the top builders of mission-critical facilities. The company has built a reputation for delivering complex technical projects with exceptional speed and quality.
Focus Areas: DPR excels in hyperscale cloud data centers, colocation sites, and other tech-intensive projects. The company is renowned for speed-to-market execution, employing agile construction methods, prefabrication, and lean techniques to meet aggressive timelines while prioritizing sustainable construction practices.
Certifications: Many DPR projects achieve Uptime Tier III/IV and LEED Gold standards, demonstrating the company’s commitment to both reliability and environmental responsibility.
Notable Projects: DPR has constructed massive data center campuses for cloud giants across the US and has successfully expanded into APAC. In Singapore, DPR provided BIM/VDC and fit-out services for Global Switch’s 25,000 m² data center, showcasing its technical expertise in international markets.
3. Fortis Construction (USA) – Hyperscale Contractor for Tech Giants
Portland-based Fortis Construction has established itself as a premier builder of hyperscale data centers for the world’s largest tech companies.
Focus Areas: Fortis serves marquee clients like Facebook (Meta) and Google with comprehensive turnkey general contracting services.
Notable Projects: Fortis was selected to build Meta’s first Asian data center in Singapore – a 170,000 m², 1.4 billion SGD facility that topped out in 2022. This state-of-the-art project is designed to run on 100% renewable energy and support approximately 24MW of IT load. The company’s international expansion demonstrates its growing presence in APAC markets.
Certifications: Fortis-built sites adhere to strict Tier III/Tier IV reliability standards and often incorporate advanced green building features. The Singapore facility targets BCA Green Mark Platinum certification with a low PUE design.
4. Jacobs Solutions Inc. (USA) – Integrated Engineering & Construction Services
Jacobs is a Fortune 500 technical professional services firm with significant data center expertise, offering turnkey solutions from architecture and engineering to project management and construction.
Track Record: In the past decade, Jacobs has delivered 17 million+ square feet of white space and approximately 3,600 MW of data center capacity globally, with increasing focus on Asia-Pacific markets.
APAC Presence: The company has executed large data center builds in Singapore, Australia, and India, where it maintains local subsidiaries for project delivery.
Innovation Focus: Jacobs is exploring hydrogen fuel cell power and advanced cooling technologies for greener data centers, reflecting its commitment to sustainable innovation.
Regional Powerhouses Driving Local Growth
5. Goodman Group (Australia) – Industrial Developer Pivoting to Data Centers
Goodman Group, traditionally known for logistics parks, has emerged as a major data center developer in APAC, leveraging its real estate expertise to enter the digital infrastructure market.
Focus Areas: The company specializes in large-scale data center campuses integrated with industrial infrastructure, claiming a “power bank” of 5.0 GW for data center development across 13 global cities.
Notable Projects: Goodman has committed to a 1GW hyperscale campus in Tsukuba, Japan, and recently started construction on a 50MW data center in Hong Kong (Tsuen Wan). The company formed a $2.7B partnership to develop multiple facilities in Hong Kong and launched a $1.1B Goodman Japan Data Centre fund.
Strategic Partnerships: GIC is reportedly in talks to co-invest in Goodman’s DC portfolio as the company expands its digital infrastructure footprint.
6. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) (India) – EPC Giant Building Hyperscale Capacity
L&T, India’s largest engineering and construction conglomerate, is increasingly active in data center EPC, bringing its massive infrastructure capabilities to the digital economy.
Focus Areas: The company provides turnkey design-build services for hyperscale and enterprise data centers, while developing its own colocation facilities through L&T Cloudfiniti.
Scale and Investment: L&T’s new data center division has built 25+ MW of capacity, including a flagship 30MW Tier III campus in Kanchipuram, Chennai. The company invested ₹2,200 Cr in data centers in 2024, targeting 100+ MW across Bengaluru, Navi Mumbai, and Noida.
Notable Projects: L&T was contracted for major hyperscale projects by Indian telcos and cloud providers, including fitting out a large data center in Hyderabad for a global tech firm.
7. Hibiya Engineering Ltd. (Japan) – M&E Innovator for High-Density Facilities
Hibiya Engineering, with roots in NTT, specializes in mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems for telecommunications and data centers, positioning itself at the forefront of cooling innovation.
Innovation Focus: The company partners with tech companies on cutting-edge R&D. Hibiya is collaborating with NTT to develop two-phase immersion liquid cooling systems for AI data centers, including a 105 m² Liquid Cooling Field Trial data center in Chiba, Japan.
Partnerships: Chemours has joined forces with NTT DATA and Hibiya Engineering to advance sustainable cooling solutions.
Sustainability Impact: The company’s innovative cooling solutions promise over 20% energy savings, crucial for supporting Japan’s high-density data center requirements.
Emerging Regional Players and Specialists
8. Leighton Asia (CIMIC Group) (Australia) – Regional Contractor for Hyperscale Campuses
Leighton Asia, part of the CIMIC/Hochtief group, has carved out a significant niche in data center construction across Asia.
Focus Areas: The company specializes in design-build of large hyperscale data centers for global tech clients, often working on projects with code names to maintain client confidentiality.
Notable Projects: Leighton Asia has won contracts for multiple “Project Thunderbird” data centers – the codename for Microsoft’s hyperscale builds in APAC. The company is constructing a 64MW high-density data center in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, which features liquid-cooling readiness and near-zero water usage.
Regional Expansion: The company has reached significant milestones on data center projects in Hyderabad, India, and the Philippines, demonstrating its growing APAC footprint.
9. Gamuda Berhad (Malaysia) – Diversifying Infrastructure Giant Embracing Data Centers
Malaysian construction giant Gamuda has made bold moves into data center construction, securing major contracts with global tech companies.
Major Contracts: Google awarded Gamuda a MYR 1.7 billion contract for MEP works on a new data center project in Malaysia. The company also sold 389 acres of land near Kuala Lumpur to Google while retaining development rights.
Recent Wins: Gamuda secured a RM2.14 billion contract to construct two hyperscale data center blocks in Cyberjaya’s Eco Business Park V, scheduled for completion by 2027.
Strategic Vision: The company has announced plans to develop up to 1,000 MW of data center capacity on its land bank as part of Malaysia’s Vision Valley 2.0.
10. YTL Power International (Malaysia) – Green Data Center Park Developer
YTL Power, through YTL Data Centers, is pioneering sustainable data center development with renewable energy integration.
Flagship Project: The YTL Green Data Center Park in Johor, Malaysia – a planned 500 MW campus spanning 275 acres, designed to run on solar power and other green energy sources. This is Malaysia’s first integrated solar-powered DC park.
Major Tenant: YTL broke ground in 2023 on a 72MW facility for Sea Ltd., the Singapore tech giant, with an investment of RM 1.5 billion.
AI Partnership: Nvidia and YTL Power partnered for $4.3bn AI data centers to develop cutting-edge AI-ready infrastructure on the campus.
Financial Catalysts and Investment Partners
11. GIC Private Ltd. (Singapore) – Sovereign Investor Fueling Data Center Expansion
While not a contractor, GIC’s role as a sovereign wealth fund is crucial in financing major APAC data center projects.
Investment Strategy: GIC has co-invested in Equinix’s xScale hyperscale data centers globally, providing capital for campuses serving cloud giants. The fund also backed Vantage Data Centers’ EMEA platform and acquired stakes in EdgeCore and CETIN.
Regional Impact: GIC’s partnerships have enabled construction across India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other markets, with the fund reportedly considering investment into Goodman’s 5GW DC pipeline.
Property Developers Entering Digital Infrastructure
12. Sino Group (Hong Kong) – Property Developer Converting Real Estate for Data Centers
Hong Kong real estate firm Sino Group is entering data center development by repurposing industrial properties for digital infrastructure.
Notable Project: Sino’s 38 Wing Kee Road facility in Kwai Chung – an 18-story, 191,000 sq ft building designed for data center use. The company partnered with BDx (Big Data Exchange) for BDx’s upcoming HKG8 data center (16MW) as the anchor tenant.
13. Citramas Group (Indonesia) – Data Center Park Developer in SEZ
Indonesian conglomerate Citramas is developing a unique data center ecosystem at Nongsa Digital Park (NDP) in Batam.
Strategic Location: The NDP spans over 200 hectares in a Special Economic Zone designed to serve Singapore and Indonesia’s data needs.
Major Partnership: BW Digital acquired 55,000 m² of land in NDP to build an 80MW data center in joint development with Citramas, featuring submarine cable landing stations for enhanced connectivity.
Cloud Presence: Oracle Cloud is launching a Jakarta region in Batam’s Nongsa Park, validating the location’s strategic importance.
Engineering and Design Specialists
14. Aurecon Group (Australia) – Engineering Consultant for Mega-Data Centers
Aurecon is a leading engineering consulting firm with 60+ data center projects completed in APAC, making it a go-to designer for complex builds.
Notable Projects: The company provided engineering services for the largest carrier-neutral data center in Hong Kong (Global Switch HK) and designed Singapore’s first large-scale project using prefabricated modular MEP techniques.
Innovation Focus: Aurecon publishes insights on decarbonizing data centers and accelerating data center delivery in Asia Pacific.
Expansion: The firm acquired CHT International in 2024 to expand its engineering capabilities in Malaysia and Asia.
15. Turner Construction (USA) – Global General Contractor with APAC Footprint
Turner Construction manages 1,500 projects yearly worldwide, bringing proven construction management processes to data center builds in new markets.
Technology Integration: Turner embraces digital construction tools including IoT, reality capture, and AI to improve speed and quality while promoting eco-friendly approaches.
Specialized Technology Contractors
16. Exyte GmbH (M+W Group) (Germany) – High-Tech Facility Builder for Hyperscalers
Exyte specializes in complex high-tech facilities, bringing semiconductor cleanroom expertise to data center construction.
Hyperscale Experience: The company has built massive hyperscale campuses in Asia, including involvement in Facebook’s 150 MW Singapore data center and multiple data halls for Apple’s iCloud facilities in China.
AI-Ready Infrastructure: Exyte is at the forefront of AI data center construction, leveraging liquid cooling and high-density POD designs.
17. China Communications Services (CCS) (China) – Telecom-Grade Data Center Constructor
CCS, the engineering arm of China Telecom, extends its services globally with massive scale capabilities.
Domestic Scale: The company has built hundreds of data centers across China, including national backbone network data hubs and provincial cloud computing centers.
Infrastructure Initiative: CCS is constructing large intelligent computing centers as part of China’s “Eastern Data, Western Compute” initiative.
Leading Colocation and Platform Providers
18. STT GDC (Singapore) – Colocation Provider with Certified Facilities
ST Telemedia Global Data Centres operates over 140 data centers across Asia and Europe, setting high standards for construction quality.
Certification Leadership: STT Bangkok 1 was Thailand’s first data center certified Tier III by Uptime and Rated-3 by TIA-942.
Quality Standards: STT GDC India data centres are now ISO 45001 certified, demonstrating comprehensive safety management.
Regional Expansion: STT expanded into Vietnam through a joint venture with VNG to build and operate data centres.
19. Chindata Group (China) – Hyperscale Platform in Emerging Asian Markets
Chindata operates 17+ data centers across China, India, Malaysia, and Thailand, focusing on emerging APAC markets.
Innovation: The company’s “Northern Data Valley” in Hebei utilizes renewable wind/solar energy, achieving some of the world’s lowest PUEs (~1.2).
Global Expansion: Chindata positions itself as a bridge between China and Southeast Asia markets.
20. ST Engineering – Digital Systems (Singapore) – Secure, Sustainable Data Center Solutions
ST Engineering’s digital division focuses on highly secure, high-density data centers for government and enterprise clients.
Latest Project: ST Engineering broke ground on its fourth data center in Singapore – a 7-story, 7.5MW facility supporting ultra-dense deployments up to 20 kW per rack.
Innovation: The facility features STT’s proprietary Airbitat DC cooling system alongside liquid and immersion cooling options, targeting a PUE of 1.25.
Security Standards: ST Engineering’s data centers meet stringent certifications including Threat Vulnerability Assessment by MINDEF.
Indian EPC Powerhouses
21. Sterling & Wilson Data Center (SWDC) (India) – Turnkey EPC Specialist with Global Footprint
Sterling & Wilson is one of India’s leading data center EPC contractors, delivering 27 cutting-edge data centers across India, Africa, and the Middle East since 2015.
International Reach: SWDC has executed data centers in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Congo, and Angola, totaling 63MW of IT load – a rare international achievement for an Indian firm.
Innovation: The company developed in-house modular data center solutions and uses DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) to cut build time by 50%.
22. Tata Projects (India) – Engineering Powerhouse Driving Data Center Construction
Tata Projects is strengthening its role in India’s data centre construction sector, leveraging its industrial construction expertise.
Strategic Pivot: The company is transitioning from long 3-year infrastructure projects to shorter 12-24 month data center projects to improve margins.
Market Opportunity: With India’s data center capacity projected to grow 5x by 2030, Tata Projects is well-positioned for significant growth.
23. Prasa Infocom & Power Solutions (India) – Niche Data Center Builder & Integrator
Prasa Infocom represents emerging Tier-2 Indian players specializing in turnkey data center build-outs for enterprises and government.
Academic Excellence: Prasa was the EPC for India’s largest academic supercomputing data center at IIT Madras – a high-performance computing facility with Uptime Tier III compliant design.
Innovation: The company developed EdgeCenter modular solutions for rapid deployment and RDHx Pro cooling technology to improve energy efficiency.
Pan-Asian Platform Builders
24. Bridge Data Centres (BDC) (Singapore/Malaysia) – Hyperscale Builder-Operator in SE Asia
Bridge Data Centres has 330+ MW of capacity in service or under construction across Southeast Asia and India.
Speed Advantage: BDC boasts delivery timelines as short as 8 months for full data center builds while claiming up to 30% lower CAPEX than industry average.
Innovation: The company’s MY06 data center in Johor showcases innovative construction techniques achieving an average PUE of 1.21.
25. Princeton Digital Group (PDG) (Singapore) – Pan-Asia Hyperscale Data Center Developer
PDG has 21 data center projects in 15 cities across China, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan.
Tokyo Flagship: PDG and Lendlease completed a 48MW facility at their Greater Tokyo campus, targeting LEED Gold certification with sustainable features.
Japanese Contractors Expanding Regionally
26. Kajima Corporation (Japan) – Japanese Contractor Bringing Expertise Overseas
Kajima, one of Japan’s top general contractors, applies advanced engineering to data centers domestically and across Asia.
Seismic Innovation: The company built multiple Bit-isle data centers in Tokyo featuring base-isolation foundations and twin-floor cooling systems for resilience.
International Projects: Kajima completed a 48MW data center in Greater Tokyo in partnership with Princeton Digital Group and Lendlease.
27. Fuji Furukawa Engineering & Construction (Japan) – M&E Contractor for Data Center Infrastructure
Fuji Furukawa E&C specializes in electrical and HVAC engineering, bringing precision Japanese engineering to mission-critical facilities.
Core Expertise: The company excels in reliable power delivery systems, often serving as the lead contractor for fit-out of white space after building shell completion.
Australian Real Estate Giants
28. Lendlease (Australia) – Real Estate Developer Turned Data Center Partner
Lendlease announced a USD $1 billion partnership to develop data centers across Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Green Leadership: The company’s Tokyo facility supports next-gen requirements with high floor loading and dedicated plant for liquid cooling while targeting LEED Gold certification.
Indian Joint Ventures and Emerging Players
29. AdaniConneX (India) – Green Hyperscale Data Centers via Strategic JV
AdaniConneX is a 50:50 joint venture between India’s Adani Group and US-based EdgeConneX, focused on building India’s hyperscale infrastructure.
Green Pioneer: AdaniConneX opened Chennai 1 in 2022 – a flagship hyperscale campus pre-certified IGBC Platinum and running on 100% renewable energy.
Expansion Plans: The JV has a stated mission to build a 1 GW green data center platform in India over the next decade.
30. CapitaLand Digital Infrastructure (Singapore) – Real Estate Leader Moving into Data Centers
CapitaLand, one of Asia’s largest real estate groups, has established a Digital Infrastructure unit for data center development.
Major Projects: CapitaLand’s Ascendas India Trust is developing a 90MW data center campus in Navi Mumbai on a 6.6-acre site. The company acquired land to build a 55MW data center in Chennai, targeting solar power and AI-ready infrastructure.
Strategic Partnerships: CapitaLand partnered with Web Werks to co-develop data centers in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.
Market Outlook and Industry Trends
The data center construction landscape in India and APAC continues to evolve rapidly, driven by several key trends:
Sustainability Focus
Companies are increasingly prioritizing renewable energy integration, advanced cooling technologies, and green building certifications. Projects like YTL’s solar-powered data center park and AdaniConneX’s 100% renewable energy facilities represent the future of environmentally responsible digital infrastructure.
AI-Ready Infrastructure
The rise of artificial intelligence workloads is driving demand for higher-density deployments, liquid cooling systems, and specialized infrastructure designs. Companies like Hibiya Engineering and ST Engineering are pioneering solutions for next-generation computing requirements.
Speed to Market
The competitive advantage increasingly goes to contractors who can deliver faster without compromising quality. Firms like DPR Construction and Bridge Data Centres are setting new standards for rapid deployment through prefabrication, modular construction, and streamlined processes.
Local Partnership Models
International contractors are increasingly partnering with regional players to combine global expertise with local market knowledge. Examples include Lendlease’s partnership with Princeton Digital Group and CapitaLand’s collaboration with Web Werks.
Conclusion
The 30 contractors and specialists profiled above represent the diverse ecosystem driving data center construction across India and APAC. From global engineering giants like AECOM and Jacobs bringing world-class practices, to regional powerhouses like L&T and Gamuda investing billions in hyperscale capacity, to innovative specialists like Hibiya Engineering pioneering next-generation cooling solutions – each is contributing to faster, greener, and more reliable digital infrastructure.
As demand for data centers continues to surge, driven by cloud adoption, artificial intelligence, and 5G deployment, these companies will continue to shape the digital infrastructure landscape of the region. Organizations evaluating data center projects in APAC can look to these experienced contractors and EPCs as potential partners to ensure successful delivery in this dynamic and rapidly evolving market.
The future of data center construction in India and APAC will be defined by the ability to balance speed, scale, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology requirements – capabilities that these leading firms are uniquely positioned to deliver.
Data Center Construction Glossary
Here are the key terms and jargon used in this guide, with quick definitions to help you (or your readers) follow along:
Term | Meaning |
---|---|
EPC | Engineering, Procurement & Construction – a turnkey contract model where one company handles design, materials, and construction. |
GC (General Contractor) | Main builder managing trades, safety, and schedules on site. |
Design–Build | A single party delivers both design and construction to save time and reduce risk. |
Fit-out | Installation of all systems (power, cooling, racks) inside the building shell. |
Hyperscale Data Center | Very large facility (20–100+ MW) built for cloud or AI giants. |
Colocation (Colo) | Shared facility where customers lease space, power, and cooling. |
Edge Data Center | Smaller facility close to end-users to reduce latency. |
Carrier-Neutral | Offers connectivity from multiple telecom operators, not tied to one carrier. |
PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) | Ratio of total facility power to IT equipment power; closer to 1.0 = more efficient. |
WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness) | Water efficiency metric for cooling systems. |
Tier III / Tier IV | Uptime Institute resilience standards; Tier III = concurrently maintainable, Tier IV = fault tolerant. |
TIA-942 | Global standard for data center infrastructure, with Rated-3 and Rated-4 similar to Tier III/IV. |
ISO 27001 / 9001 / 14001 / 45001 | Standards for security, quality, environment, and safety management. |
PCI-DSS | Security standard for handling credit card data. |
TVRA | Threat & Vulnerability Risk Assessment – required by banks and financial clients. |
BIM (Building Information Modeling) | 3D, data-rich digital model used for design, coordination, and lifecycle management. |
VDC (Virtual Design & Construction) | Digital construction processes (modeling, simulation, collaboration). |
Liquid / Immersion Cooling | Using liquids (often dielectric) directly to cool servers or submerge them. |
RDHx (Rear-Door Heat Exchanger) | Rack door radiator that removes server exhaust heat efficiently. |
Redundancy (N, N+1, 2N) | Backup capacity levels: N+1 = one spare, 2N = full duplication. |
SEZ (Special Economic Zone) | Designated area with tax/customs benefits to attract investment (e.g., Batam). |
Concurrent Maintainability | Ability to maintain any system component without downtime. |
Submarine Cable Landing Station | Shore facility where international undersea internet cables connect to land networks. |
Latency | Delay in data transfer; shorter is better for performance. |
Joint Venture (JV) | Partnership between two or more firms for shared projects. |
REIT / Trust | Investment vehicle (e.g., Ascendas India Trust) that owns and manages data centers. |
Build-to-Suit | Facility custom-designed and built for one tenant’s needs. |
White Space | IT-ready floor space for racks and servers inside a data center. |
IBMS | Integrated Building Management System – centralized monitoring of power, cooling, security, etc. |
Substation | On-site facility where grid electricity is stepped down and distributed to the data center. |